Stew Leonard’s Nominated in USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards

Stew Leonard's Nominated in USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards

Farm Fresh Food Store Nominated in Four Categories

Norwalk, CT – August 5, 2024- Family-owned and operated Stew Leonard’s today announced that they were nominated by a panel of industry experts and editors from USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Voting begins via https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/ on Monday, August 5th at noon EDT and ends on Monday, September 2nd at 11:59 a.m. EDT. The top 10 winners, as ranked by USA TODAY 10Best readers, will be announced on Thursday, September 12th at noon EDT.

Stew Leonard’s is nominated in the Best Grocery Store, Best Grocery Store Bakery, Best Grocery Store Deli, and Best Grocery Store Prepared Food categories:

Best Grocery Store

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There’s a reason why Stew Leonard’s was dubbed “the Disneyland of Dairy Stores” by the New York Times! Foodies love Stew’s for the mounds of farm fresh produce, meat sourced from family-owned ranches in the Midwest, fish caught off the coast of Montauk and lobsters direct from Maine, as well as made-before-your-eyes items like handmade mozzarella, apple cider donuts, sushi, pizza, and BBQ. And, as company president & CEO Stew Leonard Jr. himself says, you’d have to own a cow to get fresher milk! Families love Stew’s for the in-store animatronics (including fan-favorites the Avocado Girls, the Farm Fresh Five, and the dancing banana), daily demos, and family-friendly activities, including trick-or-treat events at Halloween, Easter Egg Hunts, and culinary classes for kids. But what makes Stew Leonard’s a great place to shop is also what makes it a great place to work: Stew’s 3,000 Team Members – including chefs, butchers, fishmongers, and bakers – are some of the best in the business. Every day, they work hard to uphold Stew Leonard’s Customer Service Rock of Commitment, which is a 6,000-pound granite rock positioned at the entrance of each store. It reads, “Rule 1: The customer is always right. Rule 2: If the customer is ever wrong, reread Rule 1!”

Best Grocery Store Bakery

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Bethy Leonard Hollis’s love affair with French food and culture began in the early 1980s. After studying in France and receiving her master’s degree, Bethy returned to her family’s business – Stew Leonard’s – in Norwalk, Conn. She knew that Stew Leonard’s customers would love the fresh all-butter croissants that she learned to make during her stay in France – and so, she got out her rolling pin and started an in-store bakery revolution! Today, the Bethy’s Bakery team is at the store by 3 a.m. to fire up the ovens to bring customers the very best in baked breads, cookies, cakes, pies and more. Bethy’s Bakery top-sellers include kettle-boiled and hearth baked bagels, apple cider donuts made with real apple cider, and Bethy’s original all-butter croissants.

Best Grocery Store Deli

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Stew’s in-store deli offers everything from chicken & tuna salad and sub sandwiches to a gourmet olive bar, kosher pickles, and artisanal meats and cheeses. Each store’s knowledgeable cheesemongers buy direct from family-owned farmers and have amassed a collection of hard-to-find U.S. and international cheeses, annually selling more than 500,000 pounds of cheese, including Stew’s best-selling hand-made mozzarella. Plus, Stew’s Gold Reserve Premium Deli Meats are made using the choicest cuts of meat and freshest ingredients. Handcrafted and hand-trimmed by butchers in a local, third-generation family business using recipes direct from Germany, these meats contain no fillers, no binders, and no flavor enhancers.

Best Grocery Store Prepared Food

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Each Stew Leonard's in-store kitchen is led by a team of three chefs supported by 50 culinary Team Members – and these award-winning chefs are our shoppers’ secret ingredient for the fastest, freshest, and easiest way to get great food on the table. From grab-and-go items like Grilled Balsamic Chicken, Parmesan Herb Crusted Chicken, and Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas to a Taco Party for 10 and a Thanksgiving Dinner for 8, Stew’s prepared food options are some of the stores’ best-sellers company-wide. Plus, many of Stew’s most-loved prepared food items are first created using the culinary Team Member’s own recipes, inspired by both global cuisines as well as local family traditions.

The USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards highlight top-notch attractions and businesses, providing readers with trusted recommendations. You can read more about USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards and award rules.

About Stew Leonard's
Stew Leonard's, a family-owned and operated fresh food store founded in 1969, has eight stores in Norwalk, Danbury, and Newington, Conn.; in East Meadow, Farmingdale, and Yonkers, N.Y.; and in Clifton and Paramus, NJ. Stew's earned its nickname, the "Disneyland of Dairy Stores" because of its country-fair atmosphere, with costumed characters and animated entertainment throughout the store that keep children entertained while parents shop. Stew Leonard's legion of loyal shoppers is largely due to the stores' passionate approach to customer service: "Rule #1 -- The Customer is Always Right"; Rule #2 - If the Customer is Ever Wrong, Re-Read Rule #1." This principle is so essential to the foundation of the company that it is etched in a three-ton granite rock at each store's entrance. The company's culture is built around an acronym for S.T.E.W.: Satisfy the customer; Teamwork gets it done; Excellence makes it better; WOW makes it fun. For more information, visit Stew Leonard's website at www.stewleonards.com.